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Learning from the media

We certainly learn things from the media. What we learn, how long we retain it and what effect our new knowledge has on our behavior is the subject of this chapter. In this chapter, Graber writes about different methods of learning and types of learning from the media and concludes with a brief explanation of what makes a successful media campaign.
We begin to learn from media messages very early in life. Most of us are exposed to radio and television before we can read and a wide array of text-based media after learning to read. The combined effect of all of this information over many years varies from person to person as exposure varies but some generalizations can be made. As children, we tend to absorb information more readily and do not challenge it. This may be because we lack sufficient knowledge to challenge media messages. Later in life, we tend to challenge messages more and, to an extent, seek out information that conforms to our pre-existing beliefs. One thing rarely challenged, however, is the agenda set by the news media. What appears on the front page or is billed as the ‘top story’ is typically thought to be the most important news at the time.
Different demographic groups use the news media differently and use different kinds of news media. In general, those who are less educated are more reliant on television news whereas wealthy, well-educated people tend to rely more on print media. There are very few, if any, who only consume one type of media, though. This means that there is a combined effect of different forms of media for virtually all members of society.
Sometimes we choose entertainment or news media to suit psychological needs. The theory about this is called Uses and Gratifications theory and is well known by mass communication researchers. According to the theory, sometimes we choose media because we are curious, to distract ourselves from reality or to adjust our moods. Watching golf might calm some people down while for others, reading a novel is a good escape. What people watch and for what reasons varies widely but these three reasons for choosing media are shared by all.
How all of these messages affect our behavior is something widely debated. After a multitude of studies, the findings are inclusive whether children act more violently if they consume media portraying violence or not. There are many outside factors, which vary from child to child and no conclusive scientific finding can be made. While there may be those who copycat violence, others refrain from committing violent acts because they get psychological release by seeing violence.
Mass media campaigns, such as public health campaigns are often only partially successful. Graber briefly explains what is needed to make a good media campaign, including awareness, understanding and acceptance of the information. She writes that many factors, including the source of the information, may hinder such campaigns. This is something to take into account when doing public health work abroad. Locals may be unwilling to accept messages from foreigners, especially messages about how to live one’s life.